Failure is not an option

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Hello! Welcome to the next edition of my weekly habit of sharing. 

I am only sending you one article to read this week because—well, sometimes someone says something so important we should listen:

We are living in a Failed State

(Never fear. Next week I’ll send you so many hopeful things.)

Peace and joy until next week—

Denise

P.S. Feel free to share this email. All are welcome to subscribe.

P.S.S. I’d love to know what you think about this article—email me with your thoughts!

A little bit of truth and a lot of joy

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Hello! Welcome to the next edition of my weekly habit of sharing.

Five things to share with you this week:

  1. Best on creativity this week:

  2. A few weeks ago I sent you Margo Aaron’s article on how mass media works to keep you uninformed and afraid (which is so important to every one of us that I’m linking to it again!) As follow-up, Margo added two quick posts worth reading, too: on fixing anxiety and then on fixing capitalism…don’t miss her links, either! IWT? What?

  3. Best articles on the pandemic I found this week:

  4. I love connecting online with friends and family on Zoom these days. Here are some ideas for playing games with others at a distance: here and here.

  5. This week I finished the third and last book in the series, The Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club. (Here’s books one and two). So fun! I know Book Three is supposed to be the last in the trilogy, but I’m hoping the adventures will continue some day.

Peace and joy until next week—

Denise

P.S. Feel free to share this email. All are welcome to subscribe .

Find the good and the great

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Hello! Welcome to the next edition of my weekly habit of sharing.

Five things to share with you this week:

1. I’m really enjoying this new blog project for kids and adults during the pandemic. Keri Smith of Wreck This Journal fame has been posting a fun creative prompt each week day that includes a link for inspiration to an interesting artist who uses that technique or medium. I’m totally inspired by both the prompts, but even if I can’t get to doing those, her links to the artists are great! One good example is the video link of Yayoi Kusama’s Obliteration Room! in the post, House Graffiti Spots!

2. Tim Urban does something with with stick figures and words, humor and heart, that no one else can do.  Maybe that’s why he’s got 600,000+ newsletter subscribers to Wait But Why—and over 37 million views of his Ted Talk!  His latest Covid inspired story is…possible??? Ya never know.

3. . It seems like a no brainer to reopen the economy guided by "science and public health, not politics,” (Governor Newsom). Here’s a sound Global Coronavirus Exit Strategy from the World Economic Forum that relies on testing. And The MIT Technology Review explains the role testing can and should play, Stop covid or save the economy? We can do both. Oh—and here’s the testing science to date: Therapeutic Options for Covid-19. Less politics, more science please!

4. Need some distraction? This is a good list of television shows and movies to watch while sheltering in place. Top of my head I would add Jerry Maguire—they were so young!! And definitely the hilarious three season series by James Corden and Ruth Jones, Gavin and Stacey.

5. I wouldn’t call my creative practice a distraction so much as an obsession. Lately I’ve been developing a new daily journaling and sketching process. Nothing ready to be shared, but I will say I’m hugely inspired by Austin Kleon’s art practice. I’ve also started a new illustration project exploring fairy tales (also in the very early stages).  I like Sara Burnshad’s advice for growing as an artist especially “sit down and define your own version of success.” For me? If I’m spending good time creating and growing as an artist, I’m good. And when I’m creating, I’m not worrying and I’m not sad. Yep, that’s success.

Peace and joy until next week—

Denise

P.S. Feel free to share this email. All are welcome to subscribe at www.denisejherman.com.

We're in this together

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Hello! Welcome to the next edition of my weekly habit of sharing.

Five things I want to share with you this week

  1. It’s so important to take care of our physical, mental and emotional and health, now more than ever. I really like this counselor’s tips for managing toxic thoughts. I also like Alexandra’s advice to cultivate the opposite and Susannah’s Operation for Mental Health Self Care . I have my own Operation Self Care regime that includes daily exercise, creating and journaling. What’s yours?

  2. I thought the point in this book review is worth noting: in disasters people come together. If you are not currently challenged financially, one way way to give back is to “continue paying for local services” as well as buy gift cards and order takeout from local restaurants. Also consider supporting your local food bank and an animal shelter near you that suffers from severe underfunding (like this one). Also, Here’s what some celebrities are doing to give back. I hope others are encouraged to do the same!

  3. Because I know you agree with me that we’re all better for reading more deeply on important topics, here’s a couple of reads for your weekend: “exploring how the nation can emerge from this crisis stronger, fairer and more free.” (I love how they begin with the crisis in historical context ) Also, This Pandemic is Not Your Vacation.

  4. And there are times we just need distraction! This quarantine music video is fun: Dance Song (For the End of the World). Or read a good love story: I enjoyed Anna Quinlan’s Still Life With Bread Crumbs this week. And I really enjoyed this episode of the Broken Brain Podcast: How to Find Your Voice, Heal the Past, and change Your LIfe with IN-Q.

  5. Finally, you might know that I’m kind of obsessive about my creative practice. Whenever I begin to doubt myself, though, I find a way to keep going—and inevitably I find another project to get excited about like I did this week. Why? Yep. Doing It for Love.

Peace and joy until next week—

Denise

P.S. Feel free to share this email. All are welcome to subscribe at www.denisejherman.com.

Taking stock of the present moment

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Hi everyone,

In this global pandemic moment of forced social distance, I’m feeling a great need to connect with people and share useful information, creativity and generally more light in the world. So I thought I’d start a weekly habit of sharing.

Because group emails are cumbersome, I’m using an e-news software program. If you have friends who you think might like my links, feel free to forward this to them and they are welcome to subscribe at denisejherman.com.

Thanks!

Five things I want to share with you this week:

1. This is a must see video call from Dr. Dave Price of Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City. He provides practical and specific rules we should all follow. Watch it and pass it on! With so many lives at stake, it’s more important than ever to give our attention to the experts and not the politicians.

2. Where are the tests? Where are the masks? Where was an actual, coordinated strategy to head off this deadly disease? Here’s how we lost the first critical month. But at least someone was doing something — I love Christian Siriano!

3. When we can’t actually leave our current crazy circumstances, it’s time to travel in other ways. We can escape to Hogwarts! Or ride along on the Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club with this first book in 3 book series (SO fun!) Meanwhile, this week I finally watched Judy, and also the new television series, Self-Made—both on Netflix.

4. A lot of creative people these days are struggling with how to respond in these unprecedented times. I am moved by the words of Nick Cave on his beautiful blog. Also, Andy J. Pizza last week on his Creative Pep Talk podcast.

5. As for me, I’m hanging out here in my State of Rupt. And that’s okay.

Peace and joy until next week—

Denise

So much good stuff

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So much good stuff

In this week’s letter where I share the Good Stuff I find on the internet: zooming in on the human condition (insecurity, loneliness, self-regard) and then zooming out to the really big picture (responsibility and the higher self.

Every piece I share with you today is a gem. If you can’t read all of them in one sitting, come back and click on different links throughout the week.

This is just plain FASCINATING:

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